DARLINGTON - In a wild season opener with the game-tying run 90 feet away, Darlington softball coach Rebecca Norgard wanted players to keep the faith.
"Don't give up," Norgard said of her thoughts during a seventh-inning comeback Monday. "That has kind of been a problem for us in the past. We get down and think we are done."
Darlington was far from finished, storming back from a six-run deficit before dropping a season opener to Mineral Point, 12-11, at a gusty Sieg Field. Mineral Point struck out Darlington's Taylor Burke to end the Redbirds' improbable comeback. Mineral Point improved to 2-0 and took the first round in the SWAL battle.
The Redbirds batted around the order in a big seventh inning. Amber Peters led off the seventh by crushing a double to left. Burke followed by lining an RBI single. Darlington's Abby Schulte reached on an error, allowing two runs to score. One batter later, Shawna Foulker smoked an RBI double before the Pointers walked in a run. Peters then delivered a clutch RBI single that sliced the Pointers' lead to 12-11.
"I was just thinking base hit there," Norgard said.
The Redbirds jumped on the Pointers with a four-run first in which every run came with two outs. Darlington's Katie Wiederholt crushed a two-run double to center to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead. Darlington senior Courtney McBee, who was 4-for-5, added an RBI single to kick-start the Redbirds.
"I think it went well," McBee said. "We didn't give up. We hit the ball well. It was a good first game."
With the Redbirds trailing 12-9 and the bases loaded, McBee came up to bat in the seventh. She was planning on doing some damage, but she popped out to the mound.
"There is a lot of pressure when it comes down to an inning like that and we were close," McBee said.
The last two hitters in Darlington's lineup - Peters and Burke - gave the Redbirds a boost. Both players were 3-for-5, and Peters drove in three runs. Darlington senior Katie Martin was 2-for-4 in her first game.
"I was confident in our hitting," Norgard said. "We have people who will hit the ball."
Darlington freshman Laura Steiner flirted with trouble throughout the game. She pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second and a two-on, two-out jam in the third.
Mineral Point senior Nicole Mitchell broke up Steiner's no-hit bid in the fourth by lining a single to center, and later scored on a wild pitch. Mineral Point cut the Redbirds' lead to 4-3 on back-to-back RBI singles.
Steiner ran into trouble in the fifth as she struggled with her control. She walked the bases loaded, then walked in two runs. Norgard went to the bullpen and brought in junior Cassy Steiner. She walked in a run and Mineral Point's Justina Schmitz followed with a single to spark a six-run fifth. The two Darlington pitchers combined to walk 13 batters, including five walks in the fifth.
When asked if Laura Steiner tired on the mound or just missed her spots in the fifth, Norgard was upfront.
"A little bit of both," she said. "As a freshman, I think she pitched a great game. I think she got a little wore out."
"Don't give up," Norgard said of her thoughts during a seventh-inning comeback Monday. "That has kind of been a problem for us in the past. We get down and think we are done."
Darlington was far from finished, storming back from a six-run deficit before dropping a season opener to Mineral Point, 12-11, at a gusty Sieg Field. Mineral Point struck out Darlington's Taylor Burke to end the Redbirds' improbable comeback. Mineral Point improved to 2-0 and took the first round in the SWAL battle.
The Redbirds batted around the order in a big seventh inning. Amber Peters led off the seventh by crushing a double to left. Burke followed by lining an RBI single. Darlington's Abby Schulte reached on an error, allowing two runs to score. One batter later, Shawna Foulker smoked an RBI double before the Pointers walked in a run. Peters then delivered a clutch RBI single that sliced the Pointers' lead to 12-11.
"I was just thinking base hit there," Norgard said.
The Redbirds jumped on the Pointers with a four-run first in which every run came with two outs. Darlington's Katie Wiederholt crushed a two-run double to center to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead. Darlington senior Courtney McBee, who was 4-for-5, added an RBI single to kick-start the Redbirds.
"I think it went well," McBee said. "We didn't give up. We hit the ball well. It was a good first game."
With the Redbirds trailing 12-9 and the bases loaded, McBee came up to bat in the seventh. She was planning on doing some damage, but she popped out to the mound.
"There is a lot of pressure when it comes down to an inning like that and we were close," McBee said.
The last two hitters in Darlington's lineup - Peters and Burke - gave the Redbirds a boost. Both players were 3-for-5, and Peters drove in three runs. Darlington senior Katie Martin was 2-for-4 in her first game.
"I was confident in our hitting," Norgard said. "We have people who will hit the ball."
Darlington freshman Laura Steiner flirted with trouble throughout the game. She pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second and a two-on, two-out jam in the third.
Mineral Point senior Nicole Mitchell broke up Steiner's no-hit bid in the fourth by lining a single to center, and later scored on a wild pitch. Mineral Point cut the Redbirds' lead to 4-3 on back-to-back RBI singles.
Steiner ran into trouble in the fifth as she struggled with her control. She walked the bases loaded, then walked in two runs. Norgard went to the bullpen and brought in junior Cassy Steiner. She walked in a run and Mineral Point's Justina Schmitz followed with a single to spark a six-run fifth. The two Darlington pitchers combined to walk 13 batters, including five walks in the fifth.
When asked if Laura Steiner tired on the mound or just missed her spots in the fifth, Norgard was upfront.
"A little bit of both," she said. "As a freshman, I think she pitched a great game. I think she got a little wore out."
